chapter 23:Chaos

There was an uncomfortable silence in Konoha that night, as if it were the calm before the storm. It wasn't surprising; I had been anticipating this moment for a while. I didn't know when it would come, but I was certain it was coming... tonight, or on another night when the village would be engulfed in uncontrollable chaos.

There was nothing left to tie me to this village. Memories? They fade over time. The future? A dead-end. Staying here only meant waiting for a fate I didn't want, while leaving... was a leap into the unknown, but a leap that had to be made.

I had always planned to escape, but the opportunity hadn't been right until now. After that incident a year ago, there was no longer any doubt—I had no choice but to become a rogue ninja. Maybe it wasn't the only reason, but it was the last straw. Staying here meant the end, and the fate of the bloodline would be buried beneath the soil of this village.

I had delayed leaving for two main reasons. First, my hope for treatment here; this village offered the best medical care. If I left, my chance of healing would nearly vanish. The second reason was waiting for the right moment. I needed the chaos that would allow me to escape without being chased. Just yesterday, I saw Kushina and Biwako, and through my previous memories, I knew they were heading to a secret location outside the village. Time was running out.

Boom!

In a moment of silence, the place shook with a massive explosion. I was stunned for a moment, but quickly regained my composure. I understood that the moment had arrived.

Memories of my previous life told me that the Root would surround the Uchiha clan soon. I didn't waste time. I grabbed my prepared bag and put a mask on my face. I wrote a brief note for Fugaku.

"I couldn't tell him myself. I don't want to risk his loyalty to Konoha. Time is running out before the Root comes to the clan."

Before I left, I looked at my family's house for the last time. I knew I wouldn't return. I stood at the door hesitating, but in the end, I turned and went on my way. There was no goodbye, because no one would say goodbye to me.

Phew...

I breathed a sigh of relief. I had succeeded! My next step was to leave the village. From a distance, I saw Kurama swiping at everything in its path with its massive claws. Houses were crumbling, and people were screaming and running in all directions. Konoha ninjas fought with all their might, but Kurama's power was overwhelming. A massive chakra ball shot out of its mouth, destroying an entire area in a split second.

I couldn't help but admire the sight. "How impressive... It's a shame that such a powerful creature only knows how to swipe with its claws and launch chakra balls."

As I was about to continue, a bold idea struck me. The Hokage's office might now be empty, or guarded by only one Anbu at most. The sealed scroll was there... I couldn't resist the idea. My plan was simple: I would use a shadow clone. If it succeeded, I would gain a huge advantage, and if it failed, I would only lose a little effort.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Boom.

A shadow clone appeared, looking exactly like me. "You know the plan. Use the Transformation Jutsu as a precaution."

The clone nodded and disappeared to execute the task.

I ran as fast as I could, my heart pounding with every step. Just moments ago, Konoha had been calm, as if waiting for something no one knew about. But now... now it had turned into a real hell. Screams of panic filled the streets, and houses began to collapse under Kurama's assault. People ran in all directions, some carrying their children, others hiding behind walls, trying to save themselves.

As I ran through the dark alleys, I wondered to myself: How did things change so quickly. Amoment of calm, then an explosion of chaos... Maybe this was the moment I had been waiting for, but I didn't expect it to be this intense.

The ground shook beneath my feet, and the explosions from afar only made the situation worse. The village I had once known, with all its details, was now being torn apart by catastrophe. And I was running away, far away from it all, in the middle of this chaos that had become everything now.

I continued running until I reached the outskirts of the village. But just before I could cross it, a Chunin in his mid-thirties appeared in front of me.

"Stop!" he shouted, holding his hand up to block my path.

I suddenly stopped, my heart pounding. "Where are you going?" he asked sternly.

"An emergency mission from the Third Hokage," I quickly replied, trying to keep my calm.

A moment of hesitation crossed his eyes. He looked tense, knowing that the situation in Konoha had spiraled out of control, but something in my tone made his doubts quickly fade.

"Go, quickly," he said, stepping aside to let me pass, then moved away from my path.

There was something in my tone or in the chaos of the moment that made him hesitate for a moment, then allow me to pass.

I thanked him with a quick nod, then continued running.

I took a deep breath, feeling like I had passed another hurdle.

After about fifteen minutes, I had finally managed to leave the village.

I thought everything was going according to plan. My shadow clone was in the Hokage's office, and I was on my way out of the village. But suddenly, a crackling sound filled my mind. Then information from the shadow clone hit me, and for a moment, my heart stopped. The shadow clone had failed.

I closed my eyes to process the shadow clone's memory and understand what had happened:

It seemed that the shadow clone had successfully infiltrated the office. It found the sealed ninjutsu scroll, but when it was about to touch it, it was surprised by a sealing technique coming from the scroll. Black lines spread quickly, restraining the clone's movements. Before it could understand what had happened, an Anbu attacked it from behind, causing it to vanish instantly.

When the shadow clone's memories reached me, I felt a slight sense of disappointment, nothing more. It hadn't been a well-thought-out plan, just a last-minute attempt. Still, it would have been useful to get that scroll.

I sighed quietly, then continued on my way. Opportunities don't end, and what mattered now was leaving the village safely.

My primary goal was to treat my condition, and as time passed and I thought long and hard, I began to realize that the solution might lie elsewhere. I thought about joining the Akatsuki, but I knew well that I wasn't ready for that yet. I needed to increase my strength first, and there was no better place to do that than the Village Hidden in the Mist.